Collaboration, partnership working and making full use of available powers in the legislation to make deer management work most effectively were key messages that came out from a meeting of the South Grampian Deer Management Group in late May at Kilry Hall in Angus as its members discussed the future for deer management in the area.
The Group area, partly situated in the Cairngorms National Park, extends to a total of 42,613 hectares and contains some of Scotland’s most stunning and dramatic scenery stretching from Glenshee in the west to Glen Clova in the east, and from Callater and Balmoral in the north to the farmlands of Angus in the south. The northern mountains are designated to reflect their environmental importance with the Caenlochan SAC and Glen Callater SSSI at the heart of the area. However, Caenlochan, as well as being a stunning glen, has been associated with years of complex issues and conflict around competing interests with deer and their management.
With the climate and biodiversity emergencies now high on the public agenda alongside food security, the deer managers in the South Grampian DMG area met with representatives from NatureScot, the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and Association of Deer Management Groups to discuss their role in and contribution to delivering for the public interest through greater collaboration.
The Group considers the challenge is essentially one of planning how the economic, social and environmental importance of deer in fragile communities can be best balanced with addressing any negative herbivore impacts and promoting habitat recovery and natural capital growth. Public interest and private interest objectives overlap to a great extent and the Group is keen to deliver for both. Future deer management planning for the Group intends to measure the important socio-economic role the deer industry plays in the rural communities of the Angus Glens and help address how this can be maintained and invigorated by future land management demands.
Douglas McAdam, the independent Chairman of South Grampian Deer Management Group said:
“Red deer numbers in the area from a recent count in March 2022 sit at around 6,974, down nearly 24% from a population of 9,135 in January 2019. This represents the result of sustained culling in the area over the last four years but, for the Group to achieve what is required and deliver for both the public and private interest, more needs to be done and deer numbers will have to be reduced further. However red deer are an iconic Scottish species as well as a valuable food and economic resource and this, as well as their welfare, should always remain an important underlying consideration.
“To achieve this all estates in the Group area need to play their part and fulfill their deer management obligations and responsibilities. Deer management across a large area, with a highly mobile deer population crossing multiple landholdings will only work if all landholdings across the area cooperate and work collaboratively with their neighbours to manage deer aligned to common objectives.”
To make this happen the Group, following a proposal from its Executive Steering Group, has formally requested NatureScot to put in place a new Section 7 Agreement that would last for five years and should cover all the relevant landholdings in the area. This new Section 7 Agreement would allow the estates, together with NatureScot and CNPA to chart a way forward in their delivery of both private and public objectives which in upland Scotland are so closely intertwined. The Group was very clear with NatureScot that if any landholdings do not cooperate in fulfilling their responsibilities then it would expect NatureScot to use the full force of its powers under the Deer Act to make this happen, escalating to the use of Section 8 and Section 10 powers if needed.
Douglas McAdam continues:
“What we are seeing here is a result of the majority of estates in our Group area finally losing patience with those that will not pull their weight and work collaboratively to achieve common deer management goals.
“Put simply, the majority are tired of bearing the burden because a minority refuse to engage and deliver their responsibilities. National priorities have changed, and deer managers now have to consider the public interest more than ever in addition to their own estate objectives. This is the modern reality and so to move forward the Group has asked NatureScot to help by putting in place a new five-year Section 7 Agreement which carries the potential to escalate to more powerful regulatory actions where circumstances demonstrate that these are needed and justified. I welcome this strong move by the estates in the South Grampian DMG. Voluntary deer management is still the answer but, in some cases, it needs a strong backstop that will be used to make collaborative deer management work as it should.”
Gavin Clarke, NatureScot Operations Manager Tayside & Grampian said: “We welcome the clear statement by the South Grampian Deer Management Group that they recognise the climate change and biodiversity crises, and the role that effective deer management has in tackling those issues. We are now progressing the details for a new Section 7 Agreement to support a sustained effort to manage the deer population and reduce impacts. This will provide a renewed focus to help all land managers in the South Grampian DMG area to work together for the common goal of protecting and restoring the important local natural habitats.”
Tom Turnbull, Chairman of Association of Deer Management Groups also commented:
“ADMG is fully supportive of the steps being taken by South Grampian Deer Management Group. The formal request from the DMG for a five-year Section 7 agreement is a significant step that demonstrates the commitment of the local deer managers to continue reducing deer numbers to sustainable levels whilst improving and restoring the important habitats in the area. It also shows a proactive approach towards collaborative deer management that is in line with the Scottish Government’s targets for increased biodiversity and climate change mitigation.
Further information from:
Doug McAdam
Independent Chairman, South Grampian Deer Management Group
Tel: 07538 098425
E: dougmcadam50@gmail.com
or
Deirdre Stewart
Secretary, South Grampian Deer Management Group
Tel: 07593 439747
E: deirdrestewart@dalhousieestates.co.uk